


Unspoken

by xsummoneryunax



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII (Video Game 1997), Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-24
Updated: 2020-07-24
Packaged: 2021-03-05 02:22:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,277
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25496776
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xsummoneryunax/pseuds/xsummoneryunax
Summary: [Cloti/FF7R] Story takes place immediately after the Cloud/Tifa resolution scene in Chapter 14 of FF7R.
Relationships: Tifa Lockhart/Cloud Strife
Comments: 3
Kudos: 40





	Unspoken

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: This take place directly after the Cloud/Tifa resolution scene in Chapter 14 of FF7R. Enjoy!

“Thank you,” she told him, truly meaning those two simple words.

Thank you for listening to me ramble, for just being here when I have no one else to turn to, she wanted to add, but ultimately decided against it as a comforting silence fell between them.

The night was slightly nippy, and it was all the more apparent when she had slowly pulled away from his embrace, leaving the shelter of his strong, warm arms. A part of her wanted him to pull her back, shield her from the mounting pressure that was on the brink of crushing her resolve and swallowing her into that familiar dark void where she never wanted to be in again.

But, she couldn’t be weak. Not now. She had to be his pillar of strength just like he had been for her. She knew deep down he had his own demons to face. His unspoken agony had always been betrayed by the hollow look in his eyes, the way he would tilt his head toward the shadows to hide his torment from the world, hoping no one would see. He carried a heavy burden, alone.

Cloud nodded to her, the taut muscles in his face relaxing slightly as she offered him a reassuring smile.

For some time, they simply stood by each other and watched the eerie yet mesmerizing glow of Mako emanating from the nearest reactor, setting the night ablaze with the Planet’s blood. It was both beautiful and depressing, much like many things in her life.

Standing with Cloud, secluded in the middle of the night, distantly reminded Tifa of her childhood, the night that Cloud had made his promise to her in Nibelheim. The town had already gone to sleep, leaving two children alone under the watch of a starlit sky. She had never told him then, of the burning pain in her chest that increasingly swelled upon the realization that he was not coming back for a long, long time. He had a dream to chase, one that promised him happiness, so who was she to rob him of that bliss just so she could have hers?

She felt that familiar dull ache in her chest again even though he was standing beside her now, beside the very bed of yellow flowers that symbolized reunion. They had been brought together again by merciful Fate; yet, she still felt something was amiss. There were subtle things he said that didn’t add up, fragments of his memories that didn’t quite align with hers. Each time she had tried coaxing him to letting her glimpse into the missing narrative of the timeline, she was met with resistance.

And so the burning question remained: What happened to him after he joined Shinra?

Momentarily lost in her own thoughts, she was startled when she felt him place a gentle, hesitant arm around her shoulder, his gloved hand tender and warm against her bare skin.

“They won’t take me from you. And they’ll never take you from me. We’ll always have each other, Tifa."

His words caught her by surprise, eliciting a fresh wave of tears that stung her eyes, but she quickly blinked them away. Throughout the years, Shinra had taken their home, their parents, her newfound family members, Jessie and Biggs, her bar and Sector 7—which had been the start of her new life after Shinra destroyed her childhood.

As she gazed at the towering Mako reactor in the distance, she wondered if they could truly take on this war against Shinra. How much more would they lose before they could even begin to barely cripple its foundation? They were only mortals, mere fragile humans against a titan beyond their imagination. Could she afford to lose this man beside her in what seemed to be a hopeless crusade at this moment?

“We’re not alone, Tifa,” he told her, seeming to read her thoughts. “And we’ll get Aerith back too.”

An unsettling storm of guilt and jealously bloomed at the pit of her stomach. Aerith was captured because she had sent her to look for Marlene. The flower girl had exchanged her captivity for the safety of the child. She had seamlessly waltzed into their lives and now her fate was intertwined with theirs. Her natural affinity and connection to Cloud did not go unnoticed by Tifa. Though they had all just recently met Aerith, it certainly felt like she was a friend they had known for ages. Even from the beginning, she exuded an indescribable aura that drew them all to her. It was how Tifa knew she could trust her with Marlene's life. Aerith had sacrificed so much for them, and it was at this moment that Tifa swore she would do whatever it took to make her friend happy once they saved her from Shinra, even if it meant letting go of Cloud. He wasn’t hers anyway.

“Hey, you all right? What’s gotten into you all of a sudden?” Cloud inquired with the faintest hint of a smile that was almost immediately eclipsed by concern.

With atypical boldness, he gently lifted her chin with his index finger so she could turn to him, her eyes meeting his. His usual cold gaze began to soften as he waited patiently for her response. Her legs moved on their own accord, like they had done earlier, closing the gap between them till she could feel his faint breath against her forehead. Though his Mako-infused eyes were still beautiful, she missed their natural color of the clear sky. But, what she truly missed the most were the days that could never be re-visited, the simple, carefree days of her childhood with Cloud—the Cloud that she did not find beaten and left for dead by the train station in Midgar, emotionally hardened by unspeakable horrors to which she was not privy. She so desperately wanted to believe that the remnants of her Cloud was still somewhere within this Ex-SOLDIER. Tifa knew she wasn’t going to find him tonight or anytime soon, so she simply shook her head to dismiss his question.

“Just tired,” she said, hoping that the response would suffice.

“We should head back,” he agreed. “Get some sleep for tomorrow.”

“Yeah, I think I’m ready for bed now.”

He studied her for a few moments longer before taking the lead on their descent. Though the garden was mostly illuminated, he still reached out his hand to her to assist and warned her of trip hazards that the lights did not capture. She appreciated the support, suddenly feeling completely drained.

They made their way back to Aerith’s house in silence that was only interrupted by the soft chirping of crickets and the gentle swaying of the water in the pond. Cloud opened the door, letting her in first before following her. This was the first time she stepped into the humble dwelling without haste, the first time that she really got to take in the cozy and inviting atmosphere that cruelly reminded her of the home she used to have in Nibelheim. She missed it, walking into a safe haven that she could call her own, a sanctuary to shelter her from the chaos that seemed to always be just one step behind her.

The house was quiet, everyone long asleep by now except for her and Cloud. She tiptoed upstairs, keeping in mind that the stairs were old and would creak under her weight. Cloud walked her to her bedroom door, waited by the entrance till she turned to him and reassured him that she was all right.

“Thanks again,” she whispered. “Didn’t mean to spill all that on you earlier…but it helped a lot, thanks…”

“No problem. Good night, Tifa…”

She waited a few seconds longer, getting the impression that there was something else he had wanted to say. But when no words came, she smiled and excused herself, disappearing into her room. “See you in the morning, Cloud.”

**************************************************************************************************************************

He thought he would be asleep by now but he was hardly tired. He lost track of how long he had been staring at the ceiling, gazing at the stream of light from the lamppost outside that slipped through the window of his room. His thoughts were speeding through his mind, his heartbeats suddenly catching up to meet their momentum. He was worried, really worried.

Worried about Aerith’s safety, about what remained in Sector 7, Barret, Marlene, Wedge, Tifa…

Everything had happened so fast. Just days ago, he had a place where he could almost call home and companions whom he might have even called friends sometime in the future. He had been shoved on a train he didn’t want to be on, with no choice but to keep riding it as it pulled him through one tragedy after another at breakneck speed till it reached the end of its course, throwing him completely off track from everything he thought he knew, from everything they thought they had planned out.

And now here he was, derailed but still in one piece, finally given the chance to just breathe before the next ride, wherever it was going to take them this time. They barely had time to grieve for all they had lost thus far.

Cloud tossed and turned, his skin hot against the cotton sheets and the cool breeze that flowed through the window. He thought back to his talk with Tifa earlier, remembering how helpless he had felt yet again as her tears revealed just how broken she was inside even though on the surface she appeared whole for the sake of moving forward whether she was ready to or not.

That was the Tifa he had remember from his childhood, too. She had always cared for others more than herself, tirelessly looking after those around her and forgetting to take care of her own feelings and needs. It was what had drawn him towards her as children. He’d always had this innate urge to protect and look after her because he knew she would not do so for herself otherwise. And now, there were even fewer people in her life to offer her solace. 

Cloud let out a frustrated grunt and sat up on the bed. This wasn’t working for him. As he stepped into the hall to walk to the bathroom, thinking maybe splashing some cold water on his face would help, he suddenly stopped and turned to the room next to his. He couldn’t help but wonder if Tifa had fallen asleep by now and was met with an overwhelming need to just check if she was okay.

He dragged his bare feet to the door of her bedroom and found that it was kept ajar. The light from the hallway filtered into her room revealed that she was lying on her bed, seemingly asleep. He allowed himself to slide through the crack, making sure to not keep the door open too widely for fear that the hallway lights would stir her.

Cloud lowered himself to the ground, situated his back against the small dresser by her bed. Her face and body were turned toward him, her hands tightly clutching the thin blanket close to her chest. Her long, dark hair was tucked behind her ears, allowing him a full view her face aside from her one eye that was shrouded by her bangs. Without her gear and gloves, she looked so much more vulnerable accompanied by the stress that was etched in her expression even as she slept. Even so, she was still breathtaking.

He did not fail to notice her tear-stained pillow, and his heart hurt knowing she had cried herself to sleep. Cloud didn’t know what he was doing intruding upon her personal space like this, but his rapid heartbeats began to subside as he felt a wave of serenity wrapping around him in her presence. He only wished he could do the same for her. How many times had he stood by her, watched her from the corner of his eye to make sure she was okay, but never actually alleviated the pain she felt from within.

It was true that over time he had closed himself off to the world, to those he was supposed to hold close, to Tifa. Truthfully, he didn’t want to drag her down the abyss he was in, into the hollow depths where he was lost and surrounded by voices and visions that he did not comprehend, that he had no agency over. She couldn’t possibly begin to understand him when he could not even understand himself. Ever since she had found him again in Midgar, he sensed her disappointment that he couldn’t completely fill the void that she still harbored, heal the wound that still festered. They were always near each other but could never seem to connect, and he knew that was through no fault of her own.

He didn’t know how or when, but just simply swore to himself he would one day truly make his way back to her. Until then, it was enough for him just to have her by his side as they continued navigating the unknown, together.

Sleep was finally starting to fall upon him. Taking one last look at her, he closed his eyes and succumbed to whatever dreams or nightmare that awaited him in his slumber. Morning would arrive soon, and he required the strength to rescue Aerith and help Tifa deal with the tribulation of loss if she needed him. 

For the first time since he’d joined AVALANCHE, he finally felt like he belonged.

And that was certainly a step in the right direction.


End file.
